Ur Ung Baen

Proposals

As she fell asleep, her conscience summoned her dominium in the Modinumn, the realm between dreams. The word was a mix of the words “Modi”, which meant “world” in the ancient language, and “Num né”, which meant “dreamless sleep”, Modinumn“ the world of dreamless sleep”.

The temple she had built in that place was full of light and movement. Ever in motion, the temple would re-arrange himself changing his aesthetic. Still, it was composed of five towers linked by grand halls, and a magnificent library in the middle.

Ever graced by the moon she harvested from a dream, its walls sparkled like water, making it seem like a giant mirror.

The fields she had built around it were vast and full of forest’s, caverns and “empty spaces” to be dreamt of.

In her temple “of dreams”, in the dreamless realm, she stored all sorts of interesting things and knowledge.

As she materialized in the realm, she could feel a familiar presence in her study, he was already there. She had felt his calling since before falling asleep. Desdrian.

Seriously, why, oh why, did he insist on making her temple into his refuge? He littered the temple with stinking food, dirty clothes and mud. Where the hell did the mud come from? There was no mud in her realm!

Books strewn across the floor, single player games on the tables, glasses still half full of various alcoholic filth fermenting for the fifth time in the last century, artifacts strewn across the floor... One would think he had been imprisoned in this place for a century. She was here yesterday! It was clean and neat!

She was quite dissatisfied with herself. How could she have so much difficulty in getting rid of him after so much time? It did not detach itself from her lions and it was annoying.

But then she remembered the why. It did not light her mood.

Actually, it made her more furious.

She walked at large paces to her study.

What was he doing in there?

She entered the large room filled from top to bottom with books and shelves filled with items and up to the Mohogany secretary on the left. There he lay illuminated by the moonlight that escaped through the windows.

She observed the big figure that was her unwelcomed, frequent, guest, sleeping in her chair.

He lay face down, arms on his head, over a chaos of paper and pen, dark circles around his eyes, long dark blond hair falling from his shoulders, dressed in a long coat, blue and dark blue striped pajamas and gold slippers.

He seemed to think he was ever so funny, “dreaming” in the “dreamless” realm in his pajamas... He did not need no sleep, he was already “asleep”, and just that thought made her dislike the guy more.

Thinking again, however, he was lazy enough to want to sleep in his sleep...

She looked at him closely. With but a thought of her mind she could obliterate his existence in her realm, make it near impossible for him to come back, maybe torment him a bit with sleepless nights. It was tempting, but to what end? That pest always ended up crawling back in, and she had tried more than once and she still did, from time to time, when he was too annoying.

He was under special circumstances that allowed him entrance even by force. Annoying.

- Quit pretending to be asleep, what is it that you want from me?

Desdrian opened one eye. Looking up, he let a small smile fill his lips before getting his head up from the table. His face was illuminated by the gracious pale light of the room that still managed to be enough to draw his chiseled jaw line and strike a sparkle in his deep golden eyes. They were exactly like hers, sparkling like night sky lights in the deep dark sky.

- You know, you could get along with it at least one time, you know?

- You pretend enough for both of us.

Desdrian let out a fake sigh.

- Always with that monotone voice. I’m not my brothers you know? No need to pretend with me – he shook a piece of paper in his hands.

- Hum I see your point. It’s all clear now that you shook that piece of paper. Thus, the one glued to your cheek has an illuminated meaning as well? Alas, - she gestured with a movement of her chin to the paper glued in his face - your best work yet. If you could follow your own advice?

He took his hands to his face surprised, grabbing the paper and blushing slightly, he sketched a small arch with his brow before turning the paper over to her with a disgruntled look.

Between the smudged words it could read “Get out”.

- If I did not know you, I would have been offended. Because I know this isn’t your way of humor, that would be too sad.

- You should, don’t you know I have no humor? It was taken from me while I was getting my ass wiped by my brother's servants.

- I won't, and I don’t believe it ...-He got up and started cleaning his pajamas, only to find out it had changed to a fluffy red camisole full of pink pompoms with some oversized red pants. - What? Seriously? - He changed back to his old attire. - You could have a little more imagination, you know? Now see, this is what makes me believe you got some humor, bad humor, but...

Suddenly he felt a cold breeze take over him, and saw himself outside of the temple, naked, in the middle of a blizzard, with only a small paper on his hand that read “out”.

He smirked and tele-transported himself back inside, made his old attire re-appear on him, and went down to the study once more. She knew she could not expel him from her domain no more than she could read his mind, he was immune to it. Still, she did not miss an opportunity to mock him. He kind of liked it.

Andrea was looking at one of her thick hard-covered books, apparently frustrated at what she was reading, for her mouth was doing an ever so slight pout. Over the years he had come to know the goddess. Her expressions had always been hard to read. She maintained a very strict control over her expressions. Possibly the reason why his brothers feared her heartless, emotionless. She, however, came to be any but that.

Had she been what they engraved in their stupid, tiny, brainwasher, fossil brain of theirs, she would never have helped him back then.

Getting back from his memory, he leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed his arms.

- I would love to play your kinky game, - he said, drawing a smile on his handsome face, - but I have something to talk to you unfortunately.

- Figures.

See? Who would respond to his provocation like that?

Andrea put the book back on the shelf and pulled another one a little to the side. Desdrian always had something to talk to her about and was usually the same.

- Wasn’t the weather nice enough for you to understand the warning? Or should I retry this with a bit more brute force?

- Had I known you wanted me that badly in your bed I would have led with the pompoms.

Andrea closed the book, ignoring him.

He smiled.

- He is coming. - he continued.

- Whom? - She was getting tired of this conversation.

- Him.

Andrea sighed. Desdrian “visions” were not exactly known for being the most lively. Often, living her in some shitty and or awkward situations.

- As always...

- War is coming.

That startled her. It was not possible. Not yet.

- Wen?

- Don’t know, don’t care, only that is soon. He’s waking up. The rest is up to you, sis.

Andrea felt her chest release the breath she did not notice she was holding. She was about to get angry at the mocking god, but then a thought came to mind.

- You wouldn’t have warned me if you didn’t want something. Or if it was not something that you think it’s going to bitte you back in that overly toned ass.

- Oh, glad you noticed. Doing some push-ups if you know what I mean. - She glared at him - Well, if you insist – a wide, depraved smile surfaced in his face. - I need your jabber.

- Hogg?

- I need to get something. And he is the perfect creature for that.

- Something?

Andrea looked at Desdrian’s innocent gaze. He was plotting something, she was sure of it, she just couldn’t place it, she never did, he was the only creature known to her to elude her completely.

- Yes, well, 80 percent, and all the best for you because, what you need is right there beside it. - He drafted a grandiose smile, opening his arms as if he was offering a cauldron of jewels for her dress.

- Eighty? About the jabber or about War?

- Kiddo that ship has sailed. That is not even a vision anymore.

Andrea adjusted her posture and walked towards him.

- Tell me, what is it that you think I need.

Desdrian straitened himself and entered the room. He walked away from her and sat on the chaise long at the corner of the study. Andrea followed him, making a dark blue stuffed armchair decorated with golden stars appear in front of him for her to sit on.

- Raen’s Volostrus contract. - Andreas' eyes widened slightly.

Now that she wanted.

She adjusted herself in the chair.

- I see you are tired of being annoying. You come now to be useful?

- Well, I wouldn’t say that.

- Pity.

- Oh, now my goddess, why would you say that? You know I’m at my best as it is. In this angry, rotten, sarcastic, hilarious, dashing, and let's not forget, delicious style.

- Have you ever thought you think too highly of yourself?

- No.

- Figures, so, tell me, how are we supposed to get where your something and the contract are? Also, what is that “something”? But more importantly, why do you need Hogg to get it?

- You know I’m doing a favor here, right?

- You don’t do favors. In fact, I usually end up doing all the work, the ass whooping, and getting the punishment and blame for your s**t.

- True. I have had enough of sour memories and painful lashes to be altruistic. You too, by the way. So why bother with the statement? Just let’s say I’m feeling nice. Plus, along the way, we may even be able to resolve your jabber problem and all. That’s why he is needed.

Andrea lifted Desdrian by the neck, smacking him against the nearest shelf.

- Do you think I believe one single word of your lying mouth?

- You do. Because I’m in your realm. And you know that as immune as I may be, I cannot lie here.